Links:

» Contact information and Driving Instructions

» Photo Gallery of previous Blue Ridge Folklife Festival

» Festival Schedule

Registration Forms:

» Horse/Mule Registration
» Coon Dog Contest Registration
» Car Show Registration
» Steam-and-Gas Engine, Antique Tractor, and Farm Equipment Registration



 

Festival Where & When

Start planning now for October 22, 2011.

(The 2010 schedule below will give you an idea of what the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival is all about. Activities ran all day except as noted.)

MUSIC

  • Norman Kennedy—A National Heritage Award Recipient Singing a Wealth of Scottish Ballads and Telling Old World Folktales (10:30, 12:30, 2:00)
  • Wayne Henderson & Helen White—Hot Picking and Old-Time Songs (11:00, 2:00)
  • The Wolfe Brothers String Band—Dance Tunes From the Heart of Grayson Country (10:30, 2:30)
  • Switchblade Suckerpunch—Virginia Rockabilly in the New Millenium (4:00)
  • The Spiritual Seven—Hard-Driving Praise-the-Lord African-American Gospel (1:00)
  • Jeffrey Scott—Crisp Blues Picking and Singing in Virginia's famed Piedmont style (10:00, 1.30)
  • The Gerald Anderson Band—Sweet Old-Time Songs and Tunes From Southwest Virginia (1:00, 3:00)
  • Rick Ward—Dulcimer Tunes, Banjo Tunes, and Ballads From the Carolina Blue Ridge (10:30, 2:30)
  • Jeff Little & Friends—The Blue Ridge's Favorite Piano Man (2:00, 3:30)
  • Jimmy Costa—One of Appalachia's Great Song Collectors and Storytellers, the Original West Virginia Wildman (12:00, 4:00)
  • The Moose Family Singers—Gospel Harmonies Guaranteed To Give You Chills (12:00, 3:00)
  • Glorious—Sweet A Cappella Gospel in Four-Part Harmony (12:30, 3:30)
  • Buddy Pendleton & Friends—A World Champion Fiddler With a World Class Band (10:00, 12:30)
  • The Highlanders String Band—The Dulcimer Joins the Fiddle and Banjo in the Traditional Mode (11:30, 1:30)
  • Ken Bloom—Who Would Have Thought a Dulcimer Could Be Played Like That? (2:30)
  • Marsha Harris—Old-Style Dulcimer Strumming and Bowing (2:30)
  • Gin Burris—Sweet Appalachian Ballad Singing and Dulcimer Playing (10:30, 2:30)
  • The New North Carolina Ramblers—Tunes in the Style of 1920s Greats Charlie Poole & Posey Rorrer (1:00, 4:30)
  • Carl Scott—Blue Ridge Mountain Country Gospel (1:00, 4:30)
  • The Dixie Bluegrass Boys—Sacred Songs Bluegrass-Style (1:30, 4:00)
  • The Spiritual Four—Sweet African-American Sacred Singing (10:30, 2:30)
  • Henry, Jack, & Judy—Vintage Country Gospel (10:00, 2:00)

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS

Old World-New World Ballad Singing Workshop—Scottish Ballad Singer and National Heritage Award Recipient Norman Kennedy is joined by Appalachia's Gin Burris and Rick Ward to trade generations-old ballads from the British Isles and North America. Kevin Donlevy moderates. (10:30 to 12:00)

The History & Styles of the Dulcimer—Phyllis Gaskins, Ken Bloom, Marsha Harris, Gin Burris, and Rick Ward explore the strumming, picking, and bowing techniques used throughout the dulcimer's history in America. Kinney Rorrer moderates. (2:30 to 4:00)

HORSE & DOG EVENTS

Virginia State Championship Coon Mule Jumping Contest—Blue Ridge Farm Museum (12:30)

Horse Pulling Contest—Blue Ridge Farm Museum (1:00)

Amazing Grace “The Amazing Painting Mule” Performance—Blue Ridge Farm Museum (11:30)

Sheep Herding—Blue Ridge Farm Museum (10:00, 2:00, 4:00)

Coon Dog Bench Show—Beside Adams Lake (10:00)

Coon Dog Treeing Contest—Beside Adams Lake (12:00)

Coon Dog Water Race—Adams Lake (1:30)

ANTIQUE TRACTOR & ENGINE ACTIVITIES

Corn Meal Grinding—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Antique Engines and Tractors- Crafts Field West of Blue Ridge Institute Visitors Center

Wheat Threshing and Hay Bailing Demonstrations—Basset Hall Field (10:30, 12:30, 2:30)

Corn Shredding Demonstrations—Bassett Hall Field

Rock Crushing Demonstrations—Bassett Hall Field (11:30, 1:30, 3:30)

OTHER ACTIVITIES, LOCATIONS & TIMES

"The Virginia Dulcimer: 200 Years of Bowing, Strumming, and Picking" Exhibition—Blue Ridge Institute & Museum Building

Moonshine Still—Adams Lake Field

Moonshiners, Drivers & Revenuers Storytelling Sessions—Creek Side at Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Crafts (Outside)—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Crafts (Inside)—Craft Tents West of Blue Ridge Institute Visitors Center

Foods—Vaughn Chapel Field, Blue Ridge Farm Museum, Adams Lake Field, and Craft Tents/Steam & Gas Area

Molasses and Apple Butter Making—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Children's Games- Crafts Field West of Blue Ridge Institute Visitors Center (10:00-4:00) Visit games area for schedule of individual games. (The children's games are coordinated by the Ferrum College Recreation and Leisure Program.)

Car Culture Area—Field Below Adams Lake

Ferrum College Alumni Social Area—Franklin Hall, Virginia Room Patio (Lower Level), 10:00 to 5:00

For more information:  540-365-4416 or bri@ferrum.edu. Order advance tickets at 540-365-4412.

     
 

© 2008, Blue Ridge Institute & Museum | P.O. Box 1000, Ferrum College
20 Museum Drive, Ferrum, VA 24088 | (540) 365-4416 | bri@ferrum.edu